LAUSR

Abstract The acid-base properties of Allura Red AC and Ponceau 4R azo dyes were investigated by spectrophotometric, potentiometric and tristimulus colourimetry methods. Ionization constants of the functional groups were also found in aqueous solutions of the dyes. It was discovered that the wavelength of the maximum light absorption of Allura Red AC and Ponceau 4R solutions does not change significantly over a wide pH range. As a result, spectrophotometric methods yield little information for assessing the acid-base properties of the dyes. It was shown with a help of the tristimulus colourimetry method that it is possible to determine the ionization constants of the functional groups of the dyes even when there is significant overlap of the absorption bands of the acid-base forms. The basic spectrophotometric characteristics of the main forms of Allura Red AC and Ponceau 4R in water and organic solvents were calculated. The molar absorbance coefficients of azo forms were shown to increase as the dielectric permittivity of the solvent increases. It was determined that in aqueous solution the dyes exist in the azo form over a wide range of acidity – pH 2–12 for Allura Red AC ( λ max  = 505 nm; e λ  = 3.1·10 4  dm 3  mol −1  cm −1 ) and 1–13 for Ponceau 4R ( λ max  = 510 nm; e λ  = 1.7·10 −4  dm 3  mol −1  cm −1 ). The most probable protonation/deprotonation schemes were theoretically determined for Allura Red AC and Ponceau 4R using DFT calculations.